Ford has a new chief digital and information officer, Mike Amend, who will help focus the company use of data, software and technology.
Amend, 43, was president, online, at Lowe’s for the past three years. He started with Ford today and reports to president and CEO Jim Farley.
“Mike adds dimension to our team as we use technology and software to transform our company and transportation from the inside out,” said Farley.
Amend will head the technology and software platform which consists of the enterprise information technology, global data insight and analytics, and Ford business solutions functions.
Amend’s organization will work closely with those led by Hau Thai-Tang, the company’s chief product platform and operations officer, and Doug Field, who joined Ford last week from Apple as chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer.
Previously, Amend held similar roles at JCPenney and The Home Depot, where online businesses grew by more than 20% and 40% annually.
He was chief technology officer for Dell Technologies’ global online business and, before that, a technology executive BEA Systems and Sprint.
Farley said Sakis Kitsopanidis, who has done “an exceptional job” as Ford’s interim chief information officer since early this year, will support Amend as he gets up to speed at the company, while continuing to serve as director, integrated enterprise resource planning.